The University of Cincinnati's East Campus Utility Plant (ECUP) has powered one of the Midwest's largest urban campuses since 1910. The sprawling complex — with chillers in two sections of the building, boilers in a third, and a buried thermal energy storage (TES) system just outside — serves the medical center campus and is cross-connected with the rest of the university and a separate remote plant. With a major medical center expansion underway and cooling demand outpacing plant capacity, UC needed a significant upgrade.
The catch: the ECUP is landlocked on all sides, leaving no room to build outward.
LocationCincinnati, Ohio
ServicesDistrict Energy, Thermal & Electrical Utilities
MarketHigher Education, Healthcare
Engineering More Capacity into an Existing Footprint
RMF performed an initial study to determine optimal chiller sizing and evaluated the existing medium voltage distribution system before identifying the former maintenance shop within the original boiler room as the home for two new 1,000-ton York/JCI magnetic bearing, variable speed chillers. The layout was designed for future growth from day one, accommodating a future 2,000-ton chiller and a second pair of 1,000-ton chillers for a full 6,000-ton buildout. New chilled water headers were cross-connected with the existing plant, enabling any chiller or pump to operate in parallel. RMF hydraulically modeled the full piping system to confirm pump heads and flow rates supported the proposed dispatch scheme, including the ability to charge the existing TES system.
Repurposing What Was Already There
Some of the most creative engineering involved turning existing liabilities into assets. The old baghouse roof opening was repurposed as an equipment access hatch to a new mezzanine-level switchgear room above the chillers. One two-cell, 2,000-ton cooling tower was installed on the plant roof with structural grillage in place for a second and third future tower — one on the plant roof, one above the adjacent laundry facility. Condenser water piping was sized for the full 6,000-ton heat rejection from the start.
Electrical Infrastructure Modernization
RMF designed a new electrical room housing 15kV switchgear, a 480V single-ended unit substation with space for future expansion, a 125VDC battery room, VFDs for all pumps and cooling tower fans, new electrical distribution, an HMI-based control station, RTAC, and telecom rack. Consolidating all critical electrical equipment indoors improves long-term reliability for a plant that runs around the clock. The scope also included a full power study covering short-circuit, protective device coordination, load-flow, and arc-flash analyses.
Protecting Medical Center Operations
The project was phased across three bid packages — demolition and structural work, long-lead equipment procurement, and full system installation — with chilled water cutovers coordinated during winter low-load periods to ensure uninterrupted service to the medical center.
Highlights
Two 1,000-Ton York/JCI Magnetic Bearing, Variable Speed Chillers
Layout Provisions for a Future 2,000-Ton Chiller and Second Pair of 1,000-Ton Chillers
One Two-Cell, 2,000-Ton Cooling Tower; Grillage for a Second and Third Future Tower
CDW Piping Sized for Full 6,000-Ton Heat Rejection
Cross-Connected CHW Headers; TES Charging Capability
New 15kV Switchgear, 480V Unit Substation, VFDs, 125VDC Battery Room, RTAC
Full Power Study: Short-Circuit, Coordination, Load Flow, and Arc Flash
Three Phased Bid Packages; Winter Cutovers Protecting Medical Center Operations